September 21, 2019

More than half of national university students who are now covered by the tuition exemption program will face financial burdens after the introduction of a new government measure to provide financial support to university students. Akahata reported on this on September 21 based on the results of an Education Ministry survey.

The Education Ministry on September 20 announced that it will terminate the existing program to exempt undergraduate students of national universities from paying part of or all of the tuition fee in exchange for starting the new program designed to support university students from low-income families in April 2020.

According to the Education Ministry survey, currently 45,000 undergraduate students at national universities are able to benefit by the tuition exemption program. Under the new program, only 21,000 of the 45,000 students will receive financial support equivalent to or higher than what they now receive and 11,000 will face cuts in financial support. The remaining 13,000 will not be entitled to the new system.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie on September 20 called an Education Ministry official over to the Diet building. She pointed out that the ministry made no explanation about the termination of the current tuition exemption program during the Diet deliberation on a bill to introduce the new program. Hatano stressed that the ministry should maintain the existing framework.

Past related articles:
> JCP efforts help reduce metropolitan univ. tuition for needy students [March 14, 2017]
> Civil group urges Education Ministry to improve ‘grant-type’ scholarship program [August 4, 2017]